Method and apparatus for secure content delivery over broadband access networks

• US 7,017,188 B1
• Filed: 05/12/1999
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Softricity Inc (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Eichin, Mark W., Schmeidler, Yonah, Atkins, Derek, Rostcheck, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Revak, Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arani, Taghi T.
• Application Number:
  US09/310,294
• Time in Patent Office: 2,505 Days
• Field of Search: 713/201, 705/51, 705/53, 705/57, 705/59, 705/71, 380/25, 380/30, 380/44, 380/279, 380/281, 726/2, 726/6, 726/26, 709/203, 707/1
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A system for secure delivery of on-demand content over broadband access networks utilizes a pair of servers and security mechanisms to prevent client processes from accessing and executing content without authorization. A plurality of encrypted titles are stored on a content server coupled to the network. An access server also coupled to the network contains the network addresses of the titles and various keying and authorization data necessary to decrypt and execute a title. A client application executing on a user'"'"'s local computer system is required to retrieve the address, keying and authorization data from the access server before retrieving a title from the content server and enabling execution of the title on a user'"'"'s local computer system.

Claims

1. A method for securely delivering content over a network comprising:

storing at least one title on a content server operatively coupled to the network, the title stored in unexecutable form;

storing on an access server operatively coupled to the network an identifier of the title as well as data unique to the title to process the title into executable form;

requiring a client process operatively coupled to the network to obtain the identifier of the title from the access server prior to retrieving at least a portion of the title from the content server; and

requiring a client process to obtain from the access server the data unique to the title to process the portion of the title into executable form.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

requiring the client process to obtain a signature of the access server and to present the signature to the content server before retrieving at least a portion of the title from the content server.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

requiring the client process to obtain from the access server time data defining a time period in which the client process may retrieve at least a portion of the title from the content server.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

requiring the client process to obtain new time data from the access server once the time period has expired and before retrieving at least a portion of the title from the content server.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

requiring the client process to obtain new time data from the access server once an initial time period has expired and before retrieving at least a portion of the title from the content server.

6. An apparatus for secure delivery of content over a network comprising:

a content server operatively coupled to the network and having at least one title stored therein in unexecutable form;

an access server operatively coupled to the network and having stored therein an identifier of the title as well as data unique to the title to process at least a portion of the title into executable form; and

a client system operatively coupled to the network and including program logic configured to obtain from the access server the identifier of the title and the data unique to the title to process the portion of the title into executable form.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the client system further comprises:

program logic configured to execute portion of the title.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the access server further comprises:

program logic configured to generate time data defining a time period in which the client system may retrieve at least a portion of the title from the content server.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the client system further comprises:

program logic configured to request new time data from the access server once the time period has expired.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the network comprises a broadband access network.

11. Apparatus for secure delivery of content over a network comprising:

(A) a content server comprising a processor, a memory and a network interface for operatively coupling the content server to the network, the content server further comprising;

(A.1) authentication logic, responsive to a token received from a client process, the token containing data identifying a time period, and configured to determine whether the client process is authorized to access the memory at a specific time; and

(A.2) access logic, responsive to the token received from the client process, the token containing data uniquely identifying one of the titles stored in the memory, and configured to enable access to the memory and the title uniquely identified by the token;

(B) an access server comprising a processor, a memory and a network interface for operatively coupling the access server to the network, the access server further comprising;

(B.1) conversion logic, responsive to a unique identifier of a title supplied by a client process and configured to convert the unique identifier of the title into a location identifier indicating an address on the network where the title may be accessed; and

(B.2) activator generation logic responsive to a request from a client process and configured to generate an activator in response thereto; and

(C) a client system comprising a processor, a memory and a network interface for operatively coupling the client system to the content server and the access server over the network, the client system further comprising;

(C.1) program logic configured to obtain from the access server a token, an activator and a location identifier of the content server at which an identified title can be accessed;

(C.2) program logic configured to retrieve at least a portion of the identified title from the content server; and

(C.3) program logic configured to execute the portion of the identified title retrieved from the content server.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the client system further comprises an operating system executable on the processor and wherein the client system further comprises:

(C.4) program logic configured to mount a network file system associated with the identified title and store in the memory of the client system, a plurality of registry entries related to the title;

(C.5) program logic configured to intercept requests from the operating system during title execution and redirect selected of the intercepted request to the set of registry entries.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the activator comprises cryptographic data.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the activator comprises at least one bytecode and the client system further comprises:

(C.4) program logic configured to interpret and execute the bytecode contained within the activator.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the token comprises data identifying the access server which generated the token.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the activator further comprises authorization data.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the token further comprises:

start time data and end time data which collectively define a time period.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the title is stored in the memory of the content server in the form of a briq.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the briq comprises at least one file containing data comprising at least a portion of a title.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the network comprises a broadband access network.

21. A system for delivery of content to a client system over a network, comprising:

a content server operatively coupled to the network and having at least one content title stored therein in unexecutable form;

an access server operatively coupled to the network and having stored therein an identifier of the content title and data for processing at least a portion of the content title into executable form, the access server having program logic configured to provide the identifier of the content title and the data for processing the portion of the content title into executable form to the client system; and

the client system operatively coupled to the network and including program logic configured to obtain from the access server the identifier of the content title and the data unique to the content title to process the portion of the title into executable form.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the content server comprises program logic responsive to a token received from the client system containing data identifying a content title stored on the content server, the program logic enabling access to at least a portion of the content title identified by the token.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the program logic of the content server authenticates the content title identification data on the token prior to enabling access to the content title.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the token specifies a time period for providing access to the content title identified by the token, the program logic of the content server being configured to enable access to at least a portion of the identified content title only during the time period specified by the token.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the token further contains data specifying a start time and an end time defining the specified time period.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the access server further comprises token generating logic configured to generate a token containing data identifying a content title requested by the client system and data specifying a time period for accessing the requested content title from the content server.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the token generating logic provides the token with a start time and an end time specifying the time period for accessing the requested content title.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the token generating logic provides the token with data identifying the access server.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the access server further comprises conversion logic configured to convert an identifier of a content title supplied by the client system into a location identifier indicating an address on the network where the content title might be found.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the access server further comprises activator generator logic for generating an activator containing the data necessary to process at least a portion of the content title into executable form.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the data necessary to process at least a portion of the content title into executable form includes cryptographic data.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the cryptographic data is embedded in obfuscated bytecode.

33. A method of processing content into a file package suitable for delivery across a network, the method comprising:

extracting registry information about a content title, the registry information corresponding to one or more selected data files of the content title,

storing the registry information in a registry entry file,

encrypting the registry entry file and at least a portion of the corresponding data files of the content title, and

storing the encrypted files in a file package at a location on a network file system.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the registry information includes at least one of the file names, the directory names, and the configuration settings for execution of the selected data files.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising

creating a header for the file package, the header identifying at least one of the title, the location of the file package on the network, the system requirements for the content title, the names of the encrypted data files, and a map of the network mountable file system.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising

storing the header at the location of the file package.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the header is unencrypted.

38. The method of claim 33, further comprising

creating a cryptographic block providing data concerning the encryption of the encrypted files of the file package.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the encryption data comprises data identifying at least one of the key version and the type of encryption used.